By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed to Hyde Park, Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

It is a small, close-knit community of two streets which is made up of sand and loam and there are uphill and downhill sections.

The place is also called the old Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC) Road, Kali Road or ‘Jumbie Road’ Hyde Park, Timehri.

The population consists of about 1,000 people of mixed races, but is dominated by Indo and Afro Guyanese, who co-exist peacefully.

The village is tucked away at the far corner where the old airport used to be and it is also a dead-end and at the back of it, about a mile away, there is a creek.

The place has a large landmass which is utilised by locals, who plant mostly cash crops and lettuce and celery on a large scale.

The village has a community centre located on the main road and the nearest schools are about a five-minute drive away.

All shopping is done at the junction or in the city and small items are bought within the community which has a few shops.

The community has a few mechanic shops, bars, a Kali Mandir and a section uphill has five related families and 27 houses. Below, that is, downhill there are many more houses.

The place is peaceful and quite cool in the night, but when it rains the sand-flies would become overbearing for farmers, but apart than that, it is the ideal place to reside for a good family-setting.

All government facilities are located in central Timehri where there are schools, a health centre and other services which are accessible to residents.

At the junction, there is a market and small to large businesses including gas stations and other private facilities including supermarkets.

The village has electricity, potable water which, according to residents is of good quality and it is drinkable tap water, unlike most places, internet and cable services and cellphone services, but the road is caving in and is in a deplorable state.

Apart from that, the place needs a bit of infrastructural development and to foster relations with the community and government, a Community Development Council (CDC) was formed recently.

The CDC
The CDC Chairman is Tilakdhahri Persaud, who told the Pepperpot Magazine that Hyde Park is a small village which is scenic and hilly.

He stated that the place is nice and it is home to farmers, small-business operators and self-employed folk, public servants and other skilled professionals, who earn honestly and contribute to society.

It is also the home of lettuce and celery which are on the shelves of supermarkets and are sold to wholesale buyers in the city and its environs.

Persaud reported that the people of Hyde Park get along and they try to empower each other by doing small things collectively.

Persaud reported that the CDC was established only two weeks before Christmas and they have a 10-member unit, all residents, who are volunteers for community development.

He disclosed that they will meet as a body in the first week of the new year to discuss plans for community development and other activities.

“We will work along with government to upgrade our roads in the village and build better infrastructure, because being a hilly village, some persons don’t have access to certain parts, so the input of the administration is needed,” he said.